


Danganronpa: Haunting Despair

by StarTheMoonWing



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Dangan Ronpa Spoilers, Fangan Ronpa, Hoo boy this will be long, Multi, My First Work in This Fandom, Original Character Death(s), Prose Format during Daily/Deadly life, Script/Screenplay Format during Trials
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:01:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29773779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarTheMoonWing/pseuds/StarTheMoonWing
Summary: A new killing game, with sixteen new students, all finding themselves trapped within a dark and abandoned school, with all exits boarded up. They find themselves under the control of a monochrome mascot tiger, Monotora, and these sixteen students will now attempt to survive the killing game for as long as they can...----Slightly inspired by Danganronpa: Behind Bars by Deictix. Only slightly, though.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	1. Prologue: Ghostly Surroundings Part 1

My head hurts. A lot. It's unfortunate that the first thing I register when waking up is pain, but I suppose that's what happens when you get knocked for who knows how long. I haven't yet registered the fact that I'm definitely not where I'm supposed to be. The air is cold. It smells horrible. Something definitely isn't right. My headache slowly fades, and I open my eyes, feeling the cold hard floor beneath me. _What's going on? Where the hell am I?_

I'm not supposed to be here, for starters. I'm supposed to be at New Hope's Peak Academy, not on this dirty floor in wherever the heck this place is. I'm an Ultimate, after all. _The_ Ultimate Fantasy Author, Mizuki Tomoko. I would've hoped that was obvious, after all. I gained my title for writing the most amazing fantasy stories the world has ever seen. I'm certainly deserving of it. But that's not important right now. As I sit up right, clutching and shaking my head, I glance around the area.

I appear to be in a classroom, but certainly not one from New Hope's Peak. It looked dusty and old, and I could even make out a few spiderwebs underneath the scattered desks. There were no windows in the room, it only being illuminated by a few flickering lights above. The paint on the walls was not only peeling off, but holes and cracks in the concrete were visible all across the room. I shakily stood up, brushing the dust off me, and sighing. I noticed in the corner of the room, a group of desks were all stacked up, blocking the exit to the room I was in. _That's... annoying_. I furrowed my brow, stumbling over to the blocked door, nearly tripping over my feet. I still wasn't fully awake.

I stared at the pile of desks in confusion. _Who could have put them there?_ It wouldn't be hard to move them, no, but it was odd to have done it at all. With a shrug, I began tugging at a desk wedged in the middle, and just managed to dodge out of the way before the whole thing came crashing down with a loud bang. A single desk remained which I quickly shoved, then I placed my hand on the doorknob and peeked outside.

The walls were bland and grey, looking more like a prison than a school. I couldn't visibly see anyone in the hallway, so with hesitance, I stepped outside. The same cold air remained, but I could hear the faint sound of what seemed like a vent whirring. Taking a few more steps, I noted the other classrooms in the hall, a few of which had broken doors which would be difficult to open. I took a few attempts to open the doors, but as I suspected, none opened but my own. It was suspicious, nonetheless. I could see a few monitors up on the ceilings, which didn't seem to fit with the rest of the building. A few nearby lights flickered as I turned a corner into a different hallway.

This one was a bit more intact than the last, with all but one door looking perfectly straight. I tried opening the first few, again to no avail. _Am I alone in this place?_ The thought was unnerving, being alone in this abandoned school. I didn't want to think about it much. This hallway was much longer than the last, and at the end it split into two paths. That would make it hard to search the school, but I was determined. 

Nearing the end of the hall, I noticed a door which was slightly cracked open. All others had been shut tight, so why would this one be open? I wanted to ignore it, but my curiosity got the best of me as I pushed the door open. It wasn't hard, not at all. But, I was disappointed when nothing appeared to be inside. However, it looked very familiar to the classroom of which I had woken up in. I even noticed a few desks near the door that looked to be pushed aside. _That... has to be a coincidence._

I turned around, going back to explore the school, when-

"GAH! Hey, watch it!"

I yelled out in surprise when I slammed into an unknown figure and stumbled backwards. The unknown figure sounded just as shocked, but also a bit annoyed. When I looked up to see who it was, I saw a man with long blue hair and jet black eyes. _Well, I guess I'm not alone..._

"Who are you?" I questioned immediately. The man calmed a bit, and smiled.

"Ah, uh, sorry for bumping into you!" He laughed awkwardly. "I just wanted to say hi!" The man seemed nice. His appearance was a bit intimidating, however, but otherwise he acted friendly. Maybe I could trust him.

"I'm Kosuke Akio, the Ultimate Horror Game Developer." He held out a hand, and I narrowed my eyes at him before reaching out to shake it. Kosuke Akio... his name sounded familiar. I vaguely remembered seeing his name in a list of students before, but there was something else.

"Hm..." I hummed in thought. "Well. I'm Mizuki Tomoko, the Ultimate Fantasy Author." I said proudly. Akio raised an eyebrow. He didn't seem to know me, although the to be fair he didn't seem like the type to read much... Or at all.

My eyes suddenly lit up in realization. "Hey, I think I played one of your games before!"

Akio's smile widened. "Really? Oh, wow! Did you like it?"

I nodded politely. Akio so far was trustworthy... But I didn't want to get my hopes up. I decide to change the topic, knowing full well there was something much more important to be focusing on.

"Do you know what this place is?" I asked, my tone turning serious once again.

Akio looked around, his arms crossed. "No... But it kinda looks like something from a game I made!"

That didn't really make me feel much better. If we were in a place that looked like something the Ultimate Horror Game Developer made, that certainly served to show how dangerous this place could be. And if they truly were in danger, then how would they get out of it?

"Are there any more people, or just you and me?" I decided to ask. It seemed reasonable enough. 

Akio shrugged. "I dunno. I haven't explored much. I just got outta my room." He gestured behind me. "But maybe there are others. We should keep looking, just in case!" He flashed me another smile. He seemed a bit too optimistic for a horror game developer, but I didn't question it. I didn't really have many expectations.

"Let's go left. Left is always right!" Akio exclaimed once they reached the end of the hall. I complied, not really caring where we went just as long as we found other people.

Instead of being met with another boring, dull hallway, we instead found a large double door which led into what seemed to be a library. The doors creaked open eerily, as if they hadn't been opened in years. More dust came flying into our faces, and I coughed while waving my hand to try and get the dust away. Opening my eyes, I observed at the library which didn't actually look too bad, at least compared to the rest of the building.

"Man, this place has been empty for, like, centuries!" Akio gawked. I payed no mind to him as I began scouring the room. I doubted anyone would be in there, but it was at least worth a look, right? _Akio may have been exaggerating, but he may have a point in its looks._

"Who are you, miss? Are you alright? It's hard to tell in this dim light." A high pitched voice sounded from behind me and I whirled around to find the source. 

A small young woman stood there, concern painted over her face. I was still a bit confused from the way she spoke in rhyme, but she had said it so calmly as if it were natural. I stepped closer to her. _Where did she come from? She was so quiet..._ I watched her cautiously, hiding my panic.

"I'm sorry miss, did I scare you? If I'm not mistaken, weren't there two of you?" The girl rhymed again. I ignored it this time, and sighed in relief when Akio came back. He startled when seeing the rhyming girl.

"Who are you?" He shouted a bit too loudly, making me wince. The girl smiled softly.

"Chiyumi Umeko, sir, the Ultimate Poet. If I may ask, who are you two? I woke up in this library, a dark tattered place, and then you both appeared here out of the blue!" She said, almost like a short little song. Or a poem.

 _Ah, the Ultimate Poet. That makes more sense._ "I'm Mizuki Tomoko, The Ultimate Fantasy Author." I said once again. Umeko's face lit up.

"Tomoko-san, it sure is a pleasure! I've read your books, through every weather! You writing is unique, so lively! Though I wish it had more poetry." She said, clasping her hands together.

"Oh... Well, thank you. And I'll be sure to put a poem in my next book." I said, feeling warm when Umeko's eyes glittered.

"Heh... well, Kosuke Akio, the Ultimate Horror Game Developer!" Akio said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. Umeko turned to face him, looking apologetic.

"Sorry, Akio-kun, I was talking to her. Your talent certainly sounds interesting! And before you ask, I have not seen anyone more, so we might as well get looking!" Umeko sang in a rhythm. Akio's eyes widened, as though he was just about to ask that. I surpressed a giggle as Umeko skipped out the door, us following close behind.

 _So... Including me, that's three people._ I noted in my head. It felt good to be able to not have to explore on my own. So far, the other two had been Ultimates, so I suspected the same could be said about everyone else here, wherever the were. But why would whoever is behind this want a bunch of Ultimates in a building that's practically falling apart?

"Hey, look over there!" Akio called out, pointing across to a room labeled 'storage closet'.

"Uh, not being rude, but why would anyone be in a closet?" I asked. Akio realized what he had said and smiled sheepishly with a laugh. "Ah, sorry. I just saw a labeled room and got excited..." 

"Don't fret, Akio-kun! I can feel it, we are not the only ones!" Umeko said brightly, trying to cheer Akio up. _Well, at least they're getting along._ I scoured the hall, noticing it had a dead end, meaning it was pointless to go any further.

"C'mon, let's head back the other way." I beckoned to them as I began walking back to the library doors. Akio sighed disappointedly and Umeko simply hummed, skipping back along with me.

"Where are all the windows? I was thinking that they would at least be only closed." Umeko asked suddenly. It did confuse me as to why there were no windows in the school. _Wow, it really is like a prison in here._ Prison were never something I quite liked. In fact, I don't think anyone likes prison. It's not really the best place in the world.

"I'm not sure..." I said thoughtfully, placing a finger on my chin. Maybe it was like that book of dragons I read, where you could only go through the walls after speaking a special incantation. 

"Design choice?" Akio offered, but neither of us really payed much attention to him.

I chose to stop thinking about the nonexistent windows and continue searching for others within this school. Perhaps they didn't exist, but I really hoped they did. As me and the others walked along the hall where the lights flickered and the doors didn't open, we slowly lost more hope for our search. I was determined, though. After all, this school could be huge, so there was no denying that there could be people everywhere.

The eerie atmosphere and temperature truly did make this place seem like a horror game setting. And in horror games, you were usually all alone, with a monster. The thought of a monster in the school, lurking around to find them and kill them sent shivers through my body. Maybe there was one right around the corner. Talking. To someone. Wait...

Hearing not one, but two extra voices fuelled my energy as I bolted across the floor and made a sharp turn, nearly slamming into the locker in the process. To heads snapped to face me in unison, and I straightened my posture. On of the two people lit up, while the other backed away further.

"Jiro-kun, look! Another person!" Exclaimed the first person, a brown-haired woman wearing a dress with a bearing similarity to a quilt. Her purple eyes widened when Umeko and Akio appeared behind me, panting after running all the way down to me.

"G-great..." The second stuttered, who was caressing a humanoid doll in their hands. He looked anxious and paranoid, his eyes staring straight into my soul. "H-how do you know they w-won't hurt us?" The man hugged his doll closer, eyes darting between us three.

The girl ignored him and waved at us excitedly. "Heyo! I'm Hibiki Shizuka, the Ultimate Seamstress! That weirdo over there is Itsuki Jiro, the Ultimate Dollmaker, in case you couldn't tell!" The girl, who's name was apparently Shizuka, was acting oddly upbeat and happy despite the situation they were in. She seemed careless, even.

"Uh, well... I'm Mizuka Tomoko, the Ultimate Fantasy Author. That's Kosuke Akio, the Ultimate Horror Game Developer, and-" I was about to introduce Umeko, but she beat me to it.

"Chiyumi Umeko, The Ultimate Poet! You don't seem to scared of this place, do you know it?" She asked.

Shizuka gasped. "Whaaaaat? I don't know anything about this place! I'm just as freaked out as you!" She smiled again. "But do you?"

We all shook our heads and Shizuka frowned. She muttered something under her breath, and that's when Jiro spoke up.

"S-so, did you all w-wake up in a random r-room, too?" He asked, suspicion clearly evident in his voice. We all explained that yes, we all indeed had the same experience. Jiro was skeptical, and opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a loud buzzing sound and the monitors switching on.

"Uhh, hello? Can y'all hear me?" The voice was low and gruff, but also a bit playful. "Good. Now, you all need to get down to the gym! It's mandatory! Trust me, you have to be there! Or else... rururururururu..." The blurry and unidentifiable figure in the monitors chuckled eerily before it switched off.

I stared up blankly at the now empty monitor, trying to process what had just happened.

"What the heck was that!?" Shizuka clutched her face in horror. I blinked and slowly turned to face her. That... was awfully unnerving. 

"I think... we have to go to the gym..." I said quietly.

What is going on?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story begins...
> 
> If it seems rushed, I apologize, it was late and I kind of stressed myself. Later chapters will be better and, hopefully, longer!
> 
> Comment any predictions you may have! I'd love to read them!


	2. Prologue: Ghostly Surroundings Part 2

An uncomfortable silence filled the air as we all looked at one another. _Who was that? Why did he laugh like that? Why do we have to go to the gym? What's happening?_ My thoughts invaded my head, only amplifying my terror and shock of waking up in this mysterious place. Akio, Umeko, Jiro and I all glanced around in confused worry, while Shizuka's panic flowed out into her words at a quick pace.

"Who the hell was that? He was soooooo creepy!" Shizuka yelled, holding her hands close to her. 

"I'm not sure," Akio began, able to hide his panic much better than Shizuka was. "Maybe if we go to the gym-"

"No." I snapped, and Akio flinched. Umeko watched from afar as Jiro hugged his doll and flattened against the wall. "That's only putting ourselves more at risk. We can't." I insisted.

"B-but what if there are o-other people?" Jiro piped up. Shizuka nodded in agreement. "He's got a point." She put one hand on her hip.

"Even so, how do we know these people aren't just as dangerous? I still think we should stay." I narrowed my eyes at the group, not wanting to give up. It had to be safer staying here than doing what whoever is behind this wants. The others didn't seem to think this, though.

"But the mystery man said it was mandatory! We should still go just to see." Umeko suggested, holding up her index finger. 

"Agreed. I'm kinda concerned about what he might do to us if we don't go..." Akio looked to the side, crossing his arms with a visible frown. I sighed.

"Fine. But we should be careful." I said sternly, pointing at all of them. 

They all nodded, but Shizuka just rolled her eyes and moaned 'fiiiiiine' as she over dramatically slumped along with us as we tried to find the gym. The first floor of what I assumed was a abandoned school was much larger than I had expected, and so finding the gym wouldn't be easy. There were no signs to point us in the right direction, unfortunately, so our second, yet much shorter trek began. 

After a few too many twists and turns along the way, we all noticed two large, red doors which stood out from the entire place. A large, obvious sign with the label 'gym' was plastered above the door in a golden frame. A small light which happened to be perfectly intact illuminated both the sign, door and something else. A red haired man in dirty clothes standing in front of the door. 

"Hey, you!" Akio shouted out, waving out the red haired man. The man turned around, and instead of looking surprised he seemed genuinely happy.

"Oh, hi!" He smiled, running up to us. "So you must be the rest of us."

Before I could ask what he meant by that, all the others excluding Jiro piled up around him and began asking the same questions as from before while also introducing themselves. The man looked overwhelmed, and he backed away nervously while rubbing his head and chuckling.

"I, uh... Well, I'm Takuya Hayato, the Ultimate Birdwatcher." He introduced, but then quickly dismissed. He looked over at the door. "But anyways, we oughta get in the gym so you can meet the others. And hopefully the bastard behind this." He glared angrily up at the monitors.

Without any further questions, the others enthusiastically but cautiously approached the door, and it opened without a creak, as though it had been built recently. The first thing I noticed was how well lit the gym was compared to everything else, considering how I had to cover my eyes from the bright light, as I had already grown used to the dim darkness. After adjusting quickly and shoving my glasses up my nose, I stepped into the gym.

Seeing an array of nine other vastly different and diverse people was certainly unexpected. When Hayato said 'others', I had expected at least four or five more people, not nine! They all cast looks at us, some welcoming while others ominous. It unnerved me, but I hid it, calmly approaching the students. There was a painfully long silence that followed this, before a green-eyed girl with an apron moved forward and decided to speak up.

"Are you the only people left? Or are there more?" She asked, eyeing us suspiciously. She didn't seem to trust us right now.

Before I could respond, Hayato shook his head and answered. "They are the only ones left. I searched the entire floor." 

"Hmm... Did they all wake up in random places as well?" A black and purple-haired boy had his arms crossed, looking at us thoughtfully.

"Yes, we did." I said before anyone else could. The others all nodded in agreement. 

"So... That would make fifteen of us..." A boy in tattered circus clothes muttered.

"And it seems we're all Ultimates. At least, I assume those others are?" Another one spoke up, a girl with orange hair tied into a very long braid. She appeared to be carrying scissors. 

"Yep! We're all Ultimates here!" Shizuka shouted, holding up an arm with an enthusiastic smile.

The apron girl narrowed her eyes at Shizuka, shifting her position. Everyone hesitantly moved closer to the group of students, introducing themselves. Hayato sighed, walking away from the group, his arms crossed, focusing his gaze on the gym stage. I titled my head at him.

"Hayato-kun? Are you alright?" I walked up beside him, following his gaze with my own. The stage remained empty, covered in spiderwebs just like the rest of this goddamn place.

"It just... That guy who called us all here... Who do you think he is?" He asked, biting his lip. I frowned.

"I don't know. I don't think any of us do. He just seemed very off, though, don't you think? And his laugh... It didn't sound human." I thought back to the voice and blurred figure on the monitors. It haunted me like an evil spirit with an undying urge for revenge. Hayato didn't look pleased.

"I just hope no one gets hurt." He let go of his arms as they fell to his side, looking at me. I wasn't sure what to say in the situation. Waking up in this place... A weird and uncomfortably eerie man(?) calling them all to the gym... It certainly is jarring. Though, the fact that he seems to care genuinely about the safety of people he just barely met made me feel good about him, although I worried his empathy would damn him as well.

"Uh... Guys?" A quivering voice belonging to Akio grabbed everyone's attention. "What's that?"

A trembling finger pointed up to the stage which Hayato was just looking at a few moments ago. We all looked to see where he was pointing, and Shziuka's screams of terror filled the gym as a large creature emerged from the curtains. I froze in place, unsure if what was happening was real. For right in front of me, a large tiger, half white and half black had its paws on the stage podium as it grinned down at all fifteen of us, the jagged red eye on its black side glinting maliciously. 

"Welcome, students... rurururu." It laughed. That same fucking laugh from before. "I am Monotora, you're headmaster of this school. Welcome to the one and only Kiling Game!"

...

...

What?

"AAAAAAAGH!" Shizuka was still screaming, hands on her face which bore a horrified expression.

"Oh, will you shut up? It's annoying!" The monochrome tiger growled, his tail lasting back and forth, almost like a real tiger... But that can't be right. This 'tiger' can't be real, right?

"H-huh? K-killing game?" Jiro stuttered, the doll held close to his chest as he trembled near the back of the group.

"Yep! You heard me right!" Monotora smiled excitedly. "A killing game!"

"What's a... Killing game?" A man with a compass around his neck asked fearfully. I dreaded the answer.

"A game where you kill each other! Duh! I thought that was obvious." Monotora 'rolled' his eyes and shook his head. "Jeez, I thought you'd all be smarter."

"What?!" I exclaimed, stepping away from the thing. The suggestion that we would kill one another made me feel sick. "Why?"

"Uh, because it's fun?" The tiger laughed, a loud laugh different from the odd chuckle before. This one sounded maniacal. Whoever this thing thought he was... He was absolutely insane.

"And what makes you think we'd kill each other?" Hayato asked angrily. Monotora smiled again, this time more creepily. 

"Well... I was just about to tell you that!" Monotora giggled. "Well, you see, I've trapped you all here in this school, and the only way to get out is to kill someone!"

Gasps filled the room, rather than the absolute quiet from before. Trapped? We were trapped? And the only way to get out... was to kill? But why? Who would do that? I couldn't believe my ears, and I thought the talking tiger was enough. But this was nothing compared to what I would have expected.

"I... don't understand this. How is this possible?" A woman with long red hair and an equally as long cloak held a hand over her mouth, wide eyed in shock. 

"Hmm..." A woman in a long dress and high heels hummed in thought.

"That doesn't matter! What matters is that this killing game will be awesome! I can feel it! It's gonna be the best one yet!" Monotora cackled again, this time with an added slam against his podium.

"We'd never kill one another, no matter what! No blood, murder, not even a cut! No matter what you say, these people will live for the rest of their days!" Umeko announced, with quite a lot of confidence. Monotora was completely unbothered by this. He seemed to find it amusing.

"Yeah, that's what they all say. And guess what? They die anyways! Oh well, sucks to be them!" His eye gleamed once more.

"No." I declared, trying to let my anger seep into my words, but not so much as so I don't scream. "We will never kill."

"Oh, calm down, girlie! I haven't even given you you're E-handbooks or anything!" Monotora pulled out something file-like for us all to see.

"E-handbook? What's that?" A man in a tan leather coat asked. He adjusted what I guess to be his sapphire necklace.

"It's basically just a book filled with rules, info and all that mumbo-jumbo! You'll all get one, and- hey, wait a minute!" Monotora quickly interrupted himself as he narrowed his eyes and scanned all of us.

"Why did you stop?" The braided girl gripped one of her scissors tightly.

"Why are there only fifteen of ya? Where's the last guy?" Monotora looked behind him and momentarily scratched his chin. "Are you guys hidin' him?" 

"Last guy? There's another one?" Hayato's voice suggested that he wanted to know about this supposed sixteenth student immediately. 

"Oh wait, there he is!" Monotora pointed one of his paws behind us. We all turned around to face the gym entrance, where another man entered the room... But he looked much different from the rest of us.

Along with his very exaggerated tuxedo and bow tie, there was something that stood out from him. As he turned to face us, I saw the white cloth blind fold that had been tied tightly around his eyes. 

"Woah, who's that guy?" Shizuka gawked over-dramatically. 

"Ah, my apologies, is Yagi late?" The man bowed politely. The way he spoke in third person threw me off, and his name... "He isn't late very often, so please forgive him. May he ask, what is this 'killing game' Yagi is hearing about?"

"Ah, there ya are! I almost didn't notice you were gone! You're lucky, Mr. Yagi!" Monotora scolded him almost like a parent scolding a child. "Besides, I'm just about to hand out the E-handbooks! Remember to read all the rules! Oh, and I hope you have good catch."

Monotora flung out sixteen E-handbooks, which caught me off guard, but I quickly held out my arms to grab one. A few other students did the same, but some skeptical ones let the 'E-handbooks' fall to the floor. Monotora didn't mind.

"You better pick those up! They ain't gonna break or nothin', but you still need 'em!" He boomed. The students reluctantly complied. 

I looked down at the book in my hand, observing the symbol on the front. It was a pink and white emblem the said 'E-handbook' on it. I carefully opened it, and the words 'Mizuki Tomoko' flashed on the screen before I was met with three options to choose from: Rulebook, Map and Report Cards. 

"If you click the little 'Map' button, you'll see an entire map of the first floor!" Monotora explained. With little hesitance I tapped 'Map' and the screen displayed a simple, well, Map. 

Everything was labeled and coloured, except for the halls, which were a depressing grey, much resembling the actual hallways within this school. Many classrooms labeled with the word followed by a two-digit number were all over the map, but a few other rooms such as 'Cafeteria' and 'Kitchen' were also in there, as well as 'Storage Room' and 'Gym'. Right near the top and right of the map were sections labeled 'Dorm Rooms Section A' and 'Dorm Rooms Section B' The words 'you are here' in bright red were located in the gym section. A long hallway that went forwards then left headed to the Cafeteria, with the kitchens located directly behind. If you kept going forwards instead of left into the Cafeteria, you went into Dorm Rooms Section A. If you turned right instead, it would lead you to Dorm Rooms Section B.

"Well, this map would've been a lot more helpful earlier." Hayato muses. 

"If you go to the Report Cards, you'll find info on all of you students, like your height, birthdate, likes and dislikes... Stuff like that, ya know?" Monotora shrugs dismissively. 

"Why would we need to know all that shit?" A girl with blonde hair asks, slightly disturbed. 

"Well, it's incase you want to plan a murder..." That word again. I hated it. Every time I was reminded of the horrible reality I was, it felt surreal. I wished it was just a cruel dream, and I would wake up at any moment. But that wasn't the case...

"I already told you, were not going to murder each other!" I spat out, finally mustering up the courage to do so.

"Oh, but you will. All of you will eventually give into despair. It's only a matter of time." The monochrome tiger slithered. The way he emphasized despair with such evil intent made me shiver. 

Monotora quickly changed the subject, as though nothing had happened. "Oh, and, the Rulebook? That's where the rules are, obviously. You better read them!"

I tapped the Rulebook label, and was met with a list of varying rules across the screen. I decided to follow the tiger's instructions, because what else was I supposed to do?

"Ah, hello?" The odd man, named 'Yagi', supposedly, shouted out. "Yagi would prefer if you would read the rules out loud, since he can't see." He gestured to his blindfold.

I nodded, but quickly said 'yes, I will' afterwards once I realized he couldn't see my nod. I cleared my throat and began to read the rules displayed as all eyes were on me.

Rule #1: Students are to live within the school for the duration of the Killing Game.

The purple-haired man scoffed. "It's not like we can leave anyways." He mutters. I continue, ignoring the interruption.

Rule #2: All students are to sleep within their assigned dorms. Sleeping anywhere else is strictly prohibited, and will result in punishment.

A few students murmured confusedly about the mentioned 'punishment'. 

Rule #3: Violence against Headmaster Monotora is not permitted, and will result in punishment.

Rule #4: Nighttime is from 10pm to 7am. Running water cannot be used during this time, and the Gym, Cafeteria, Kitchen and Storage Rooms are off-limits as well.

Rule #5: Any student who kills another and becomes the 'blackened' will graduate, unless they are discovered. 

Rule #6: A student may only kill a maximum of two people

Rule #7: After a body is discovered, there will be a short period used for investigation, after which a class trial to determine the killer will commence. 

Rule #8: Damaging any property within the school is not allowed, and will result in punishment. 

Rule #9: Lending your E-handbooks to one another is prohibited.

Rule #10: Losing your E-handbook will result in punishment. 

Rule #11: Monotora cannot be directly involved in a murder, nor tamper with evidence. 

Rule #12: Additional rules can be added at anytime.

Once I finally finished reading aloud the rules, I couldn't help but think about a few of them. Especially the one about...

"What's a 'class trial'?" I asked, looking up from my E-handbook. 

"Eh, you'll see. Trust me, it's really fun!" Monotora threw his front arms in the air with a grin. I growled.

"How can any of this be fun to you?!" I yelled, barely containing my fury.

"It's for the sake of despair. I love despair. I even wrote a song about despair! And it's such a bad song, that it creates such despair!" The tiger babbled inane nonsense, while I clenched my fists. But there was also another question I had in mind...

"What's punishment?" The girl with the scissors asked. 

"Ah, yes, punishment." Monotora nodded. "Well you see, punishment...

... is execution."

"Execution?!" Yagi suddenly burst. "Yagi... doesn't like the sound of that."

"Well, that's what it is! If any of ya break the rules, you're gonna die! So ya better follow them!" Another laugh. And, in just the blink of an eye... The tiger disappeared. 

"Huh? Where'd that bastard go?" Shizuka whirled her head around. 

"Man, I wish I could punch him..." The blonde-haired girl, who I now noticed had a ukulele figure in one of the pockets in her shirt, said.

"Hmph. There's no point in doing so. You'd just get executed." The woman in the long dress and heels huffed, arms crossed with a glare.

"Hey! Don't be rude!" Akio looked over at the woman, who simply said nothing in response. 

"Hey, before we all go, can we all introduce ourselves? Yagi knows most of you already have, but he hasn't yet..." Yagi chuckled nervously.

"Yes, neither have I. And I have a feeling a few of them haven't either." I glanced around the room. "We should stay and get to know each other a bit better. It might be useful if we all knew each other." 

The others agreed, except for a few who simply looked exasperated or disappointed. _Well, I guess I better get started...._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this part was better than the last one.
> 
> Also, criticism is welcomed and encouraged! I really want to improve since I've never written for Dangan Ronpa before...
> 
> Once again, feel free to comment any predictions or guesses!


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